


Beyond the Ink and Shadow that lay over us.

by HellsPurestDevil



Series: Fallout Vindictus [4]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Animal Attack, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Fear, Friendship betrayal, Mild Gore, Other, Post-Betrayal, Regret, Torture, regretful character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24821842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellsPurestDevil/pseuds/HellsPurestDevil
Summary: Sometimes life in the wastes can be hard without a friend. But what are you too do when that friend betrays you? Do you hate them, or do you forgive
Series: Fallout Vindictus [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783843
Kudos: 3





	Beyond the Ink and Shadow that lay over us.

THE CHAINS CLANKED TOGETHER AS THE MAN TRIED TO MOVE, blood dripping from his wrists where the shackles sliced into them. The numbness in his bound hands became more and more prominent the longer they were constricted above his head. He had no idea how he wound up in the dark, dank cell of a dungeon whose location was unknown to him, but he did know he was in deep trouble. Up until now, the last thing on his mind was blacking out and waking up in the worst situation fathomable.

That was until recently, when towards his right, he heard the subtle shuffle of pebbles and stones. It was, due to the darkness, a sound that froze his blood and evaporated all the spit in his mouth. He sat up and leaned his back against the sturdy beam in the middle of a small room. He tasted blood in his mouth and his head wouldn’t stop pounding and he couldn't keep his ears from ringing. The memory came back slowly, of a large assailant who had pummeled his face bloody till he passed out, and all too quickly did the fear of the assailant returning make him nervous.

“ _Who’s there_ ?” The man shouted. “ _You better answer me! Answer,_ **_goddammit_ ** **!** ”

And in time, he was answered, but not by any human voice. For within the darkness arose a howl, deep and long, like a hoarse siren, first climbing and then dropping rapidly down to a guttural growl.

“ _Holy Jesus_ …” The man said, and his voice suddenly became very thin, for within the inky blackness, great whitish yellow lights began to open in the dark, as if someone had set out lamps with hoods on them and now that someone was pulling the hoods off in pairs. They were eyes, he knew that from the way they would disappear for split seconds, and they surrounded the Man in a fey ring.

The Creatures came on, none faster and none slower then each other. Their eyes … The man found himself unable to look away from their eyes. They were not the eyes of ordinary Creatures; of that he was quite convinced. At first, in his fear, he thought they had been the eyes of great hulking weasels, the sheer disdain they showed for him and the general malaise they gave him nearly proved to him that these were no ordinary animals. But as the ring tightened around him, he saw them for what they were

The forms of the great beasts began to take true form in the dark, foam dripping from their dark muzzles. Four massive, hulking brutes whose hackles rose and whatever lips they possessed pulled back, revealing great sets of teeth. He knew what they were, had dealt with many of them in the past, and yet the lack of mindlessness behind their eyes, hinted towards domestication, they were not mindless wild beasts. No…they weren’t, and yet that frightened him more. For who would have been brave enough, or foolish enough to even try such a thing. Were they even real? or were they indeed just a fantasy cooked up by his wounded mind, he could not really tell. The only person who came to mind, least that he could think of, would never put him in this situation, she was a friend, a dear friend...

As the man watched, One of them raised its broad snout and roared to the sky, the vibrations loud enough to rattle the roof above, to shake the floor beneath their feet, to cause the dirt flecks and pieces of small stones to tremble like Mexican jumping beans. Its cry was joined by a second, the second by a third, the third by a fourth, a whole chorus, with enough vocal range to rattle the foundations of the dark room. Then they stood silently, not even their breath could be heard. They just stared. In fact they seemed to grin up at Lee, their tongues occasionally flicking out of their mouths like some horror movie serpent from long ago. They seemed to be asking him just how long it would be before he screamed. Just how long before their presence broke his facade, before he cracked under the pressure of their mighty gaze. Before he gave them what they wanted.

Turns out, it wasn’t long at all. One creature, the leader large and ghostly white with rolling muscles and bristling hackles and the sharpest of claws he had ever seen, had advanced him while the others held back in the darkness, no doubt waiting for their turn. As the large animal got closer and closer, it’s tongue poking out past it’s front teeth, and it clicks it’s jaws, the man let out a scream, frantically pressing himself harshly against the mental pole he was attached to. But before the animal could do anything however, there came another sound. Not a growl, not a howl, not a snarl, not even a scream But a voice from the darkness, calculating, affirmative and feminine.

“ ** _Don’t kill him_ **”

 _That Voice.....he knew that voice....  
  
_He looked back at the beast, and dawning realization struck him hard, harder then whatever the beasts claws could possibly ever do to him.  
  
_He knew this creature_  
_  
"_ Ghost _...." Then that would mean. . .  
_ _  
_ _No...no it couldn't, she wouldn’t, why would she--_

Then in a snap instant he remembered what he had done. And he went cold as the breathe rushed out of him. _  
  
No no no_ no! _She wouldn't do this too him. She couldn't do this to him!! They were friends!! She would call the rest off surely. Surely she was just doing this to scare him. To teach him his place_. _She wouldn't-not to him...not to_ -

The brutish animal had stopped in its tracks, turned its head towards the inky darkness. It growled, as if it suddenly took offense to sudden change of plans. The great animal chuffed, then backed off, it would seem that it would indeed allow its brothers have their fun first. After all, it could wait there was plenty of fun to go around. And as the man watched the brute back up into the shadows, he heard a strange series of clocking sounds, like the heavy rundown of boot-heels hammering swiftly across the stone floor. The scrapping of nails as they dig into the ground for traction. The harsh yips and whines of eager creatures, voicing their intent with absolute malicious glee.   
  
_Surely the beast would still listen to him...if she wouldn't maybe he could..._

“No, _Ghost_...Ghost call them off.... _Ghost you know me_!!  
  
The large eyes of the creature seemed to move as slowly as its head did as it turned to look at whoever was standing next to it. Dawning hope surged within his chest as the gaze between the two entities seem to hang in the air and as the creature looked back at him after some time, he swore he would cry with joy.  
  
But luck had abandoned him, just as fast as his hope did when the beast suddenly let out a familiar sounding call that chilled him too the core so much, he wished his heart had stopped right there. A deep groaning that cut itself short between intervals. And suddenly the circle grew tighter, as the excited whines and yips grew louder and louder, even as the poor man watched the White beast stare back at him through the darkness, an almost tired, disappointed look cemented itself within its eyes.  
  
The beast wasn't going to listen to him. Not now, not anymore. He realized that now.  
  
The whines of eager creatures baying for blood grew louder around him as the circle grew ever closed around him, then horrifyingly the lights that kept the dark, as well as the fear away from him and kept the dimly lit room lit up just barely enough for him to see the dim outlines of the massive creatures, began to go out one by one.   
  
_No_ a whisper. His breath sped up. He began to turn his head around frantically in all directions. He couldn’t see them, not in the dark. But he could see the glint of their eyes as they caught the dim traces of light left over.  
  
_No no I learned my lesson!!_

The clocking sounds were speeding up. A fast walk, a trot, gallop, sprint.

 _No please_ , he tried to say, but nothing came out. And as the first of the animals pounced and clamped its teeth harshly down on the fatty part of his calf and began to dig it’s teeth in, ripping skin and pant cloth and digging sharp claws in his tender flesh, he looked toward the shadows, to see the lone pair of whitish-pink eyes staring from the inky darkness, and knew for certain she was watching, standing at her place by its side.

Was there any chance of redemption...forgiveness for his sins? Was any of his pleading worth it...did any of it matter anymore. _Would she forgive him_  
  
_No please, I'm sorry..._ Was all he couldn’t say, before a beast clamped its brutal jaws around his face and then the world went dark with the rest of the lights.

____________________________________________________

Long after the screams of the dying man echoed down to mere soundless gurgles, the affirmative voice from the shadows snapped her fingers. The dimly lit lights returned to life and in a near instant the three hulking brutes immediately back down, despite the obvious blood frenzy she still noticed surging in their hard eyes. But they did good, and she gave them all generous strokes down their muscle hard necks. No one ever dared to do that, not when the beasts were in a frenzy, not when it was so easy to lose an arm, or your life to them. Only she ever got away with doing it. As the beasts left, the sound of footfalls echoed in the dark, soft, poised and almost solemn.

The bloodshed the beasts left behind was immense. But even still surprising was how the man was still alive even after all of it. She assumed it would have been all over at this point, but her smirk faded as two piercing green eyes locked onto her own.

Well what was left of them anyways....

With what was undoubtedly his last ounce of strength he stretched his mangled hand out towards the woman, as if in a last desperate plea. His mouth hung open in ragged gasps as he choked on his own blood, "... _please_..."

The woman took a step back, almost frightened. For an instant she didn't see _the traitor_ anymore. She didn't see the man that had used and betrayed them all. The man she'd come to hate. No, instead she saw the person she had been proud to call a friend. _Had been proud_ .

_No not friend anymore...traitor, not friend anymore, ever was a friend? Nothing now, traitor...._  
  


"...please...  
  


Please.... _Please_ , of course he would say _please_. All he could say was please, It was always _please_. They both were, after all, friends at one point in their lives, at least at one point in a time long passed now. But he had betrayed them. He wasn’t a friend anymore..Traitor! Wait. Friend? _Traitor_ . Friend. _Traitor_ . **_Friend_ **?!?!

" _I'm sorry Lee_...." she whispered through the silence, professional even as she lowered her gaze.

  
  
The short sound of a ruffled coat followed by the sound of a pistol letting off one lonesome shot in the inky darkness was the only sound left to make its mark in that dark room, besides the sound of soft, poised and equally solemn footsteps that left it behind.

  
  
  



End file.
